Method of producing woven reed articles.



M. B. LLOYD.

METHOD OF PRODUCING WOVEN REED ARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. t9. 1917.

1,243,8Qw v Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

JI'ZZZ MARSHALL 1s. stern, or

MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF PRODUCING WOVEN REED ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 16, 1917.

Application filed February 19, 1917!. Serial No. 1493M.

1 all whom it may concern Be it known-that I, MARSHALL B. Lnoro,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Menominee, Michigan, have invented a;

certain new useful, and Improved Method of- Producing Woven Reed Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to the manufacture ofwoven reed articles and re- 10 lates more particularly to the manufacture of such reed articles as have a frame.

The reedifabric with whnh my invention is concerned is composed of a plurality of spaced. members called stakes, whichmay be I of reed or wire,.and which in workable lengths have sufiicient rigidity to be selfsupporting and to resist considerable forces tending to bend or kink abruptly. In this respect at least they differ greatly from the loose character of the threads of cloth which can be bent, twisted or kinked in almost any manner with little force and without materially injuring them. Upon these stakes, long strands called fillers are woven over some of the stakes and underothers For i example, the filler strand in some instances may pass over one stake and under the next adjacent stake, or 1t may pass over one stake.

and under the next two adjacent stakes, or

it may Vary in the manner in which itweaves under and over the stakes in a great many ways to produce different results and effects. The. reed fabric with which my 111- vention is concerned is also to be distinguished from the cane fabric such as is extensively used for chair seats and the like. While the filler strands may be and sometimes are put under such tensions as will gradually curve or shape the stakes to the 40 end that the finished fabric will have the desired form, the stakes are not usually abruptly bent or displaced by v the filler strands but on the other hand, the filler strands are bent and shaped to interweave around the stakes.

In weaving such articles it has hitherto been customary to fasten the stakes, in spaced relation, to the article frame and thento weave the filler strands thereon, the reed worker shaping the articles in the process of weaving to desired form. If the article is one that is irregular in shape, the stakes p -mnnt at various angles. During the weaving operation under the hitherto universal practice, these stakes must be constantly fabric will assume the desired shape and also :will have an appearance of uniformity and particularly to the end that the stakes shall assume regular lines. .The operation of weaving and shapingthe reed fabric upon the article frame is a mostdifiicultone because of these many variable factors, and hence re uires highly skilled workmen; somuch so t at where there is any amount of shaping, as is necessary underpresent, -methods, in an article having pleasing curved lines, only workers having several years experience can be employed and then the time required is considerable even to manufacture a relatively small article. As

a result of the foregoing facts, reed articles, While extensively used, are at the present time expensive.

The general object of my invention is to provide a method wherewith it shall be pos sible to weave reed articles, having a frame, with greater rapidity and at lower cost than has hitherto been possible.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a method in which many of the hitherto variable elements or factors shall be eliminated; wherewith the personal element of the weaver shall also be largely eliminated; wherewith artistic articles having curved or irregular lines .can be produced with substantially the same ease as the straight uniform and simple articles; with whichiit shall be possible toweave the reed fabric with greater uniformity and increased strength; wherewith unskilled workers can produce reed articles of the kind hitherto producible only by skilled workmen; and wherewith the hitherto highly in-' dividualistic weaving of each reed fabric upon each article frame can be reduced to a factory system of weaving the reed fabric" more readily understood by reference to the.

' shaped, positioned, and alined so that the accompanying drawings, illustrative there of and wherein: v

Figure l, is a bottom plan view of a por tion of a teinplet used in the production of the article of the instant case.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the part shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4, are respectively a top plan view and a side elevation ofanother part of the templet.

Figs. 5 and (3, are respectively a to plan view and a side elevation of a still urther part of the teniplet.

Fig. 7, is a side elevation showing the ternplet in assembled condition ready for the weaving operation.

Fig. 8, is' a fragmentary section view showing the fabric in the course of manufacture, upon the templet.

Fig. 9, is a cross sectional. view tion of the fabric. a

Fig. 10, is a side elevation of the finished fabric;

Fig. 11, is a perspective view of a frame upon which the fabric can be placed; and

F lg. 12, is a transverse vertical section illustrating the assembled condition of the fabric and frame.

For the purposes of illustration, I have chosen to depict themanufacture of a reed article of the typical jardiniere shape; 210., of circular cross section and having curved or swelled side portions, because such articles on the one hand fairly illustrate the dilliculty encountered in the production of reed articles under the hitherto universal method of a porand on the other hand, the ease and simplicity of manufacturing articles under my method. v

lnthedrawings, 1, illustrates the article frame which, in this instance, comp 'iscs an upper circular member 2, a smaller "lower circular member 3, and a plurality of connecting members 4:, extending therebctwcciz. The frame, in this instance, is not of the shape desired in the article and it is sel dom in practice that the frame necd follow closely the contour desired in the finished article. The frame in some ii'lstances follows the contour to some extent and in some places, but the frame is usually composed of a relatively few members which do not serve adcquatclylas a guide to the reed \vorlccrs. Under the'former' method, the stakes were secured to the frame in spaced relation along the bottom member 3. In order to secure the bowed or :urvcd shape in the fabric as is best illustrated in Figs. 13 and 15, it has been necessary to fastcinthejstakes into the side portion of the frame so that they pro ject substantially. at right angles thereto. The reed worker. having fastened the stakes in this position, starts at the bottom and weaves the lillerstrands over and under the stakes at the same time shaping the stakes upwardly and placing the filler strands under just the right tension so that the stakes 'can be gradually turned from their rightangular positions progressively upward. To shape these divergent stakes gradually upward, to maintain them in proper spaced relation, and to shape the filler strand with just the degree of tension necessary to give the desired shape and character to the fabric is diflicult indeed because of the many variable factors which must be considered and for which compensation must be made.

I might also state that in weaving reed in any form which is circular, spherical, or partially so, there is a natural tendency for the reed to form in, yond the desired form or shape- This is probably due to the fact that the stakes-are held at one end in desired alinclncnt and When so secured, cannot possibly move outwardly, while the other ends of the stakes are free and under the tension necessary to secure a tight weave are gradually and naturally pulled in by the.\veave of the filler,

strand thereon. That is to say a novice worrying the reed fabric could not weave 1t properly in such form. it requiring skilled weavers who understand thoroughly the action of the reed and who can counteract the apparently natural forming of the reed fabric to the extent. necessary to give the fabric the desired shape.

1 have solvedv this dillicult complex problem in a very simple way by eliminating many of the variable factors and reducing the remaining ones to simple, easily'unden stood and easily mechanical guide, teinplet or form, so that the most iniskiilcd worker can weave the fabric by simply weaving in a natural manncr around or against the teniplet or form,

the teinplet being of such shape that the fab ric 'prodmzed thereon will fit the desired frame, but the 'teinplet or form need notbe and generally is not, of the-same shape as the article frame. being designed particu-' larly to facilitate the weaving operation and mn'rcspondlug only in its general essential dimensions to the dimensions of the article frame. 1

While my method is not to be considered limited to the manufacture of the fabric.

about a tcinplet, except where so limited iii that is to contract bemanipulated steps. 3 To this end instead of weaving the fabric upon theor crown member (3, a segmental intermcdiate portion 7, and a lower or bottom part 8. As is well shown in Fig. '7, the part 7, rests upon the part 8, and the part 6, 113011 the part 7. The part 7, is composed of a plurality of sections 10, and a plurality of inter-fitting sections 11, each of which carries a plurality of spaced flange-like members 12. lVhen the sections are assembled, as is well shown in Figs. 3, 4, and '7, the members 12,

form a plurality of circular plates. As the I article desired has a curved or bowed side, the size and relation of the members 12, is such that a line connecting their peripheries is curved or bowed. The member T, provided with dowels 13, to enter the holes prorided therefor in the member (3. The parts 6 and 7. may be thus readily and accurately assembled and demounted. The crown member (3, is provided with a flaring outer face 6 to give the proper flared shape to the upper part of the fabric. The bottom 8 in this instance, comprises a plate 20, having a beveled side face or edge 20, upon which is mounted a cross 21, having sides which flare to an extent necessary to form a support for all of the sections of the intermediate portion 7, as is well shown in Fig. 7. The segments .10 and 11, of the member 7, may be provided with holes 23,-for the re- .ception of small alining dowels 24:, on the bottom 8. Thus it becomes evident that the various parts of the templet can be readily assembled and dismounted. The stakes are fastened in spaced relation around theiface '20 of the base portion and it is nor. a very simple operation for the reed worker to weave the tiller strand upon the stake in this condition. it being but necessary to continue the filler strand or strands over and under the stahes and around the templet in regular courses from the bottom to the top or from the top to the bottom, although I ind it more convenient to work from the bottom upwardly. The filler strands are pulled so that the stakes just follow the contour of the templet substantially as shown in Fig. 8. The templct, therefore, so limits the movement of the stake and the tension upon the filler st ands that the fabric is naturally shaped to the form of the tcmplet. The relatively close relation of the templetparts prevent the stakes from being beiit in beyond the, desired point or line. The initial position of the stakes is shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 7,

and the final position by the dotted lines. hi this manner, an endless fabric having uniform courses of the filler strand and the desired shape can be produced rapidly by even an unskilled worker. The fabric is shown in Fig. 10, in side elevation wherein 35, are the stakes and 3G, the filler strands. In this instance I have left portions 17, of the stakes projecting from the body of the fabric at each end. These may be laid down to form a finished edge in the usual ordesired manner and either before. or after the fabric is mounted on the frame. Having thus produced a reed fabric of the desired size, 1 place it over the frame and. secure the frame thereto as indicated in Fig. ,It should be noted that the frame is a relatively simple structure, and is not of a shape such as would enable the weaver conven; iently to manufacture the article shown. All that the frame is needed for is to give sufficientrigidity to the article and any unnecessary shapingis an added expense. I can use the simplest and cheapest possible frame construction as it need not be formed or shaped, unless desired, to the form or shape of the fabric.

After the reed fabric has been woven upon the templet it will be noted that the templet is disassembled in order to free the fabric. This can be readily done by simply lifting part (5, from the part 7. The sections 11, of thepart 7, can then be readily removed and thereafter the sections 10, at which time the base portion 8, can be freely withdrawn.

In qualifying the fabric or its elements as rced in the specification or claims, I mean to limit my invention to fabric, the elements of which cooperate in the manner above described as characteristic of the stake and strand'fabric made of reed, but to embrace suchmaterials whether they be natural reed, paper reed, or other materials having the general characteristics of reed;

For different articles it will be understood that templets, forms or mechanical guides of "different sizes, shapes and character may be employed but my method will be found to be characterized by weaving the reed fab ric in a manner convenient for the weaving operation and independent of the frame and then applying the fabric to and securing it upon the frame as distinguished from the. hitherto universal practice of weaving the fabric and shaping upon the frame dur ing the weaving operation, and the herein described method is cited simply as an i1lus-. tration of that'method.

Inasmuch asthis disclosure will readily suggest to others skilled in the art to which this appertains, various methods whereby,

% reaches the substantial objects of my invention can be attained, 1 do not Wish to be limited to the specific stated manner of procedure nor to the precise steps, acts or. stated sequence thereof, except only as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims.

' I claim 1. The method of producing reed articles having a frame and a reed fabric which consists in providing a skeleton frame having spaced connected members presenting relatively small contacting surfaces to the fabric, Weaving the reed fabric independent of the frame and then placing the Woven fabric over and securing it to the frame.

2. The method of producing reed articles 1 having a frame and a reed fabric of endless I differently shaped fabric independent of the frame and then placing the Woven fabric over and securing it to the frame. I

4. The method of producing reed articles having a frame and a reed fabric with a bulged surface at least in part, Which consists in providing a skeleton frame having spaced connected members presenting rela tively small contacting surfaces to the fabric, weaving the reed fabric independent'of the frame With asurfacebuIged out from the general contour of the frame at least in part and then placing the Woven fabric over and securing it to the frame.

5. The method of producing a reed article having a frame and a reed fabric of different cross sectional dimensions which consists in providing a skeleton frame having spaced connected. members presenting relatively small contacting surfaces to the fabric, weaving the reed fabric independent of the frame with different cross sectional dimen sions, and then placing the Woven fabric over and securing it to the frame.

6. The method of manufacturing reed articles having a skeleton frame composed of spaced connected members presenting rela-' tively small contacting surfaces to the fabric which consists in \veaving the fabric independent of the frame about a sectional templet, in a form to inclose the templet at least in part removing, sectionally, parts of the templet to free the fabric and;;then placing the Woven fabric over and securing it to the frame.

7. The method of producing reed articles having a frame and a reed fabric which consists in providing a skeleton frame having spaced connected members presenting relatively small contacting surfaces to the fabric, Weaving the fabric independent of the frame about a templet of proper proportions relative to the frame, and then placing the woven fabric over and securing it to the frame.

1a testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 7th day of February, 1917, in,

C. O. Pon'rnnrmnn, ARTHUR WM. NELsoN. 

